Many of the experts describe golf as a game of opposites and contradictions. By this they mean that in the ordinary import of things, that which seems to be reasonably correct is usually wrong. On the entire backswing and the downswing to waist high on the off-target side, the target side should control dominantly. In the follow-through from waist high to finish on the target side, the off-target side should control. Thus the sides cross one another at the beginning and finish of the swing. Only from waist high down on the downswing to and through ball impact and from impact to waist high on the foreswing are both sides joined in the force of the swing. Thus the forces exerted in the swing of a golf club and the body members exerting same seem to come within the aforesaid description.
The difficulty arises in the opposites and contradictions facing the player leaving him in a condition where he can't tell which side is dominant or subservient in controlling his swing at various points. The coach, pro or book tells him to take his right side, for a right handed player, out of the back swing and part of the downswing. But the player himself can't tell when he is or when he isn't. Only the super skilled can tell and usually a lot of the time they can't tell what they are doing in their own swing and they have to go to their pro for an analysis and critique. The best have to do this. The ordinary 100 shooter doesn't have a chance.
When the ball is struck, it resiliently flattens in the impact area and then springs back against the club head. The force of the spring-back is dependent on the resistance of the club head. If the club head speed is decelerated at impact, the projecting resistance is diminished. If the club head speed continues to accelerate, the projecting resistance is increased. Thus continued acceleration of club head speed is an essential.
As a player apparently swings a club with two hands, wrists, arms and sides, it would seem that these portions should be applied equally at all points in the swing. But the experts say and prove that this is wrong. They show that the hand, wrist, arm and side facing the target should dominate on the backswing and on the down swing to a point where the hands are about waist high, and the other should be subservient. At waist high in the downswing the off-target hand begins to exert influence. As the club head approaches the ball, the off-target hand influence increases to equilibrium prior to impact, through impact, and after impact with the ball in the follow-through to a point about waist high. At waist high in the follow-through, the influence of the target hand diminishes and becomes subservient to the off-target hand. The off-target hand then decelerates the swing from about the waist high point in the follow-through.
If the off-target side pulls the club up on the backswing and pushes it down at the start of the downswing it has taken over and the swing cannot be executed properly because the off-target side is in control and won't relinquish it. Contrariwise, if the target side dominantly pushes the club up on the backswing, pulls it down on the down swing to waist high, the target side then can now pull the club into impact, through impact, and through the follow-through toward the target with the off-target side joined from waist high. With the target side pushing the club up on the backswing, the target side dominant control is initiated. With the target side pulling the club down on the downswing to waist high, target side dominant control is continued. With the off-target side joining at waist high, both sides accelerate club head speed prior to, at, and after contact with the ball and during the follow-through to waist high. Thus club head speed is continually accelerating from the top of the swing all the way through to waist high on the follow-through. From waist high on the follow-through to the finish, the target side brakes the speed of the club.